64’4″ is the most important number to remember when traveling on Bonaventure. That’s the distance between the waterline and the top of our mast. Allegedly the bridges of the intracoastal are built to a minimum height of 65′ — before accounting for settling and tides — so ripping off a mast would not be out of the question.
To avoid this delightful outcome, we left Adam’s Creek at the crack of dawn to clear the 4 bridges between our tight creek and our final destination in Swansboro.
The first three bridges we met at close to low tide before racing, hell for leather, up the 16 miles of the Bogue Inlet. We met the final bridge — just north of Swansboro — at mid-tide, and cleared by the scant hairs of our bald pates.
